[ LPGA GOLF ]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Punahou student Michelle Wie read a shot on the first hole of yesterday's LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship first round in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The 13-year-old shot a 3-under 69 in the tour's first major of the year.
Sorenstam, Wie
trail SongThe teen star and tour rookie
is alone on top of the LPGA’s
first major
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. » Annika Sorenstam stumbled at the start yesterday in her bid to win all four major LPGA Tour titles in a year, leaving her well behind a teenager who played in the Kraft Nabisco Championship when she was only 13.
No, it wasn't Michelle Wie, though Sorenstam trailed that young phenom, too.
The leader was Aree Song, who knows a little something about being a golf prodigy herself.
Song took advantage of ideal scoring conditions and an early tee time to shoot a 6-under 66 in her first major championship since turning pro. She had a one-stroke lead over Lorena Ochoa, Rosie Jones and Catriona Matthew, while Karrie Webb and Dottie Pepper were another shot back.
The 17-year-old Song, in contention on the final day here four years ago, made six birdies and didn't come close to a bogey in a morning round played with little wind and soft greens at Mission Hills Country Club.
She played -- and talked -- with the confidence of a veteran instead of the rookie pro that she is.
"You know, I like my chances here," Song said. "I feel I know the course pretty well."
Sorenstam was five shots back and heading for a corrective session on the driving range after salvaging a 1-under 71 with a birdie on the last hole.
"I didn't hurt myself too bad for the first day, but obviously it has to get better from here," Sorenstam said.
Song, who tied for 10th in 2000 as a 13-year-old named Aree Wongluekiet, was in the fourth group off the tee and posted her score early. She then went for a bite to eat as the rest of the field tried to catch her.
None could, including Wie, who made a short birdie putt on the final hole for a 3-under 69 despite some wayward drives that left her battling out of the deep rough.
"The thing I'm proud of myself is even though I was in the rough I made a lot of pars out of the rough today," said Wie, a Punahou student who tied for ninth last year when she was 13. "I played pretty good, I guess. My driver could have been a little better."
Sorenstam, whose goal this year is to win all four major titles, wasn't even the best in her threesome. That honor belonged to Ochoa, who stumbled early but quickly recovered for a 67 that was cheered loudly by about 30 friends and family who came from her native Mexico to watch her play.
But it was Song who was alone on top of the leaderboard, despite being largely overlooked coming into a tournament where Wie's success made her yesterday's news.
Song didn't do too badly as an amateur herself, finishing fifth in last year's U.S. Open, and making all four cuts at the Kraft Nabisco, where she first played in 2000 along with her twin sister, Naree. She got a special dispensation to turn pro before the age of 18 from LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw last year, then promptly went out and won her tour card in the qualifying tournament.
If she wins, Song would be the youngest to ever win on the LPGA Tour.
"This has been my dream, to play out here on tour and hopefully one day be the best," said Song, a native of Thailand who came to the United States at the age of 11.
Song played with the fearlessness of a teenager, taking direct aim at almost ever pin. On the difficult par-4 15th, she hit her approach to a pin tucked precariously on a back ledge behind a bunker to within 6 feet, then made the putt for birdie to get to 5 under.
Smiling all the way, she finished the round by hitting a sand wedge over the water to 5 feet on the par-5 18th for her final birdie of the day.
"I guess it's about time I outdo my performance of about four years ago," said Song, who shot a 68 in her third round as a 13-year-old before fading to a 75 on the final day. "It was a great day today, ball striking-wise, short game-wise. You know, when you have that much control over the day, it's really enjoyable."
Sorenstam's day wasn't so much fun.
The dominant player in women's golf struggled off the tee, which on most LPGA tour courses wouldn't have caused her too many problems. But the Mission Hills Dinah Shore tournament course has tight fairways bordered by rough at least 3 inches deep.
"I don't know if I was getting too excited because it was a major or what," Sorenstam said. "But I have to find my tempo."
Sorenstam, who won two of the last three tournaments here and won her 49th LPGA tournament last week in Phoenix, came to the desert with one big goal -- begin her Grand Slam quest by winning the first of four majors.
That has never been done before and, if the number of low scores shot yesterday is any indication, Sorenstam will have her work cut out for her to win this one.
Sorenstam admitted to being a bit nervous on the first tee while pondering her goal.
"It's a long way to go, 16 rounds if you think about it," she said. "If I'm nervous on the first tee it's going to be a long year."
Still, it was the 14th straight round of par or better at the Nabisco for Sorenstam, who won here in 2001 and 2002 and was in the final group last year before two mistakes on the back nine cost her a third straight championship.
